Collapsible box.



ANTON PAQUET & ADOLPH PAQUET.

COLLAPSIBLE BOX. APPLICATION FILED Aue.21. 1913. RENEWED DEC. 6. 1917.

Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

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Anron rnounr AND AEDOZLPH PAQUET, or orrrceeo, ILLr-noIs.

coLLArsIBLE sex.

Specification of Letters Ji'atent. Patented Feb. 215, 1918.

Application filed August 21, 1918, Serial 1104785334. Renewed December 6, 1917. Serial No. 205,891.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat we, AN'roN PA un'r and Anonrrr PA UET, citizens of the United The essential object of thisinvention is to provide a collapsible box or container which may be used as a trunk, shipping case, or the like, and the container is soconstructedthat-when collapsed it will occupy the minimum amount of space, but when set up will be practically as strong as if it were non-collapsible. V a l In the drawings, Figure 1 "is a top plan view of the box when in set-up condition, the top cover being opened, "however, to permit access to the interior of the box; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2- 2,

,Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end elevation, a detail of the locking arrangement 'andof the joint between the two' parts of the cover bemg' shownQin section; Fig. 4 isa section on the line M, Fig. 1, showing the box in collapsed condition; Fig. 5 is a detail in section showing the joint between an end wall and a side wall; Fig. 6 is a detail similar to Fig. 3' of one of the end walls, showing the lock- 2,

ing tongue in the position it assumes when the device is to be unlocked or collapsed;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-'(, Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing thecon nection between the bottom and one of the end walls when the box is in open position; and Fig. 9 is a view similar-to Fig. 8 showing the parts in the positions respectively 1 assumed by them when the box is collapsed.

The bottom 1 isformed either of a single piece of lumber or other suitable material or a number of pieces rigidly united and secured together so as to form a unitary bottom member. Extending longitudinally of the bottom member 1 are strips 2, which in height correspond to the thickness of the end walls 3. Said strips 2 are permanently secured to the bottom 1 by su1table fastening devices, such as screws 4, and by'reinforcing angle-irons 5 and cornerplates 6.

Hinged to each strip 2 by hinges 7 is a side member 8. the hinges 7 being so formed as to permit the side members 8 to fall inwardly when the box is collapsed. Asbest shown in Figs. 2 and 4, strips 2 and sides 8 .7 will be flush with the surfaces of the strips 2 and sides 8.

The end members 3 are each preferably formed of an end wall 11 which is reinforced by the exterior reinforcing strips 12,

Which exterior reinforcing strips are pro vided both to improve the appearance of the boxes well as to strengthen the ends, and the exterior reinforcing strips 12 have their edges 13 suitably beveled. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 8,each end wall 11 is secured to the bottom 1 by hinges 14 and is adapted to fall inwardly upon said hinges. The strip -12 which extendsparallel to the bottom pro-- jects beyond the edge ofthe end 11, andto the bottom 1 a piece of beading or quarterround 15 is secured by screws 16, which said quarterround 1 5 neatly fills the space between the members 11 and 12 and thus forms a perfectly tight joint between the bottom and the end of the box when the box is in open position as shown in Fig. 8. The member 15 is mortised or cut out at 17 to receive that leafof the hinge 14 which is fastened to theendll.

The top of the box is formed of two mem bers 18 and 19 which are, respectively, secured to the sides 8. Each side 8 carries a leaf 2O terminating in a loop 21, and a similar leaf 22 and loop 23 are borne upon each of the members 18 and 19. The U-shaped staple-like pintles 24, pass through the loops 21 and 23, and in this manner the top members18 and 19 are hinged to the ends 8, there being sufficient freedom of movement, however, to permit said members 18 and 19 to lie in planes parallel to the-members 8 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, or to extend perpendicularly to said members 8, as shown in Fig. 2. l

When the members 18 and 19 comprising the topare folded inwardly, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, they will close the receptacle,

resting upon the upper edges of the ends 11 at'such times. The members 18 and 19 are provided with'a cooperating tongue 25 and groove 26 so as to form a perfectly tight joint when the box is set up, as shown in "direction inwardly from the positions'h own' vFig. '2, which joint, moreover, will be coninFig. 3,.said end 31 will be received within the recess 29, and thus the member 19 will "be locked in. theposition shown in Figs. 2, '3, and"6.--When the member 19 is thus locked, the flange 27, which is carried upon said 'member, cooperates with the member 18 and holds that member also against movement' The sliding tongue 32 is received .within a countersink 33, which is near the upper edge of each member 11, andplates 34, secured in placevby screws 35, guide said tongue and retain the'same in place, permitting the tongue'to slide from the posision of Fig. 6 to that of Fig. 3 and-back again, it being obvious that whenthe sliding tongue 32 is in the position of Fig. 3, the

container-will be locked in set-up position,

whereas, when the same member is in the position of Fig. 6, the cover may be opened "and the device collapsed. That end 31 of r the locking tongue which is received within the recess 29ispreferably bent at right anglesto that part of the same member which is received within the countersink 33. The sliding tongue 32 is provided with a loop; 35 which projects through a recess 36 cut in the end wall 11. To slide the tongue 32 from'one position to the other, the

operator grasps the loop 35*, which serves as a knob or handle, and moves the tongue 7 32 back or forth in either. direction desired.

his set up and the locking tongue moved to ,the position of Fig. 3, a wire 40 can be passed through perforations 37 and 39 and through The strip 27 and top member 18 are provided with registering perforations 37 and 38, and the end wall 11 is perforated at 39,

the perforations 39 bein adapted to register with the perforations 3 and 38 when the device is set up; and when the container the perforation 41in the loop 35 If the ends of this wire be brought together by a seal 42, the container when once set up and locked will 50 remain until the seal be broken.

' Each of the end walls ll is rovided with a recess 43, and within said recess the U- shaped clamp 44'is secured, said clampbeing adapted to lock or cooperate with a similar clamp 45 fastened to the side 8, as best shown in Fig. 5. This construction prevents the end wall'from moving outwardly beyond the vertical position, though permitting same toifall' inwardly when it is desired to collapse the structure.

From the foregoing detaileddescription of .parts,..it wlll beclearly evidenthow the members 11 also stand in container is lobe set up or collapsed, but assuming that the structure is collapsed and the parts are in the positions respectively shown for them in Fig. 4, the members 8 are swung upon their hinges until said members 8 are in vertical position, resting upon the strip 2, as shown in Fig. 2. The ends 11 are then swung upon their hinges until said vertical position, being prevented from moving too far by locking means 44 and 45. The top members 18 and 19 which comprise the cover are then. swung upon the hinges 21 and 23 until the cover members assume the horizontal position of Figs. 221ml 3. Then the locking tongues32 maybe pushed toward the right, Fig. 3, or toward the left, Fig. 2, and said tongues 32 will lock the container in set-up position, for'when the tongues 32 are in the position of Fig. 3, the top member 19 will be locked against upward movement, the holding of the member 19 in place will, because of the flange 27, keep the member 18 from being lifted up, and the tongues 32 themselves, by locking the ends 11 to the cover member 19, will prevent the ends 11 from falling inwardly.

As previously stated, the strips 2 are of a height corresponding to the thickness of the ends 11. The term corresponding does not mean exactly equal, because, as shown in Fig. 4, the upper edge of the strip 2 is a little higher than the top edgeof the strip 12; but the member 2 is of such a height that the side walls 8 when collapsed will lie 100 perfectly flat. The axial line of the pintlc of-the hinge 7 should be in the same plane as the upper edge of the strip 2, and since these pintles are placed in the recesses formed by the beveled edges 9, it follows that the lower surfaces of the sides 8, when said members are folded as shown in Fig. 4, will be a little lower than the top edges of the strip 2, which strips, therefore, must be of the height necessary to permit said under surfaces of the side walls 8 to rest directly upon the strips 12.

We do not limit ourselves to the precise form of container depicted in the drawings, but numerous changes in the details of 0011- struction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A folding box comprising a bottom member, narrow strips permanently secured to the side margins of the bottom and pro- Jecting upwardly therefrom, end members hinged to the ends of the bottom and adapted to be folded inwardly upon the botbottom when in open position to leave intervening spaces, strips of beading secured to the bottom and locatedin said spaces, and reinforcing strips secured to the exterior of the end members and having their lower portions projecting below said end members and adapted to abut against the bottom when the box is open.

2. A folding box comprising a bottom member, narrow strips permanently secured to the side margins of the bottom and projecting upwardly therefrom, end members hinged to the ends .of the bottom and adapted to be folded inwardly upon the bottom, side members being hinged to the side strips and adapted to be folded inwardly upon the end members, cover members hinged to the side members and adapted to be folded outwardly upon the sidemembers, said end members being elevated slightly above the bottom when in open position to leave intervening spaces, strips of heading secured to the bottom and located in said 7 below said end members and adapted to abut against the bottom when the box is open. i

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ANTON rAoUE'r. ADOLPH PAQUET.

Witnesses:

G. LAWlON BownrroI-I, ERWIN W. FULLER.

"Unmet ml this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

